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Media Studies

Research help for identifying resources related to Media Studies.

Why Use News Sources?

Newspapers on The Wall Street Journal Rack. Photo by Philip Strong on UnsplashNews sources (newspapers, magazines, news blogs, news broadcasts, news feeds, etc.) are written by reporters and journalists on topics of current interest.

When and Why You Should Use News Sources:

  • You need information on a recent event or topic of interest
  • You need eyewitness accounts of events
  • You need reports on activities of state and local government
  • You need insights into local culture, arts & entertainment
  • You need perspectives from underrepresented groups
  • You need sources that advocate a particular viewpoint or opinion

Remember: Not all news sources are created equal! Some have hidden (or obvious!) motives or political beliefs. Do some background research into who owns the news organization to learn more about it.

Online Access to Popular US Newspapers and Magazines

Current News Databases

Need to search for current news articles -- from multiple perspectives?  The following are some best bets.

Historical News Databases

Need to search for historical, archived news articles -- from multiple perspectives?  The following are some best bets.

Magazines and Commentary

Ethnic and Alternative Press

Circulation Data & Media Kits

Need to find the contact information for a specific media company? Need to find circulation data or media kits? Use the following sources to find media listings and data.

Broadcast News (Clips & Transcripts)

Special Collections Research Center

Box of reel cans   Envelopes of newspaper clippings    Old photograps

The Libraries' Special Collections Research Center (SCRC) houses two major Philadelphia broadcasting archives: 6ABC (WPVI-TV) footage and CBS 3 (KYW-TV) footage.

The SCRC also houses three major Philadelphia newspaper clipping archives: Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, Philadelphia Inquirer, and Philly Daily News, in addition to the photograph archive of the Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Some of the Evening Bulletin photographs are digitized and available online.  

The SCRC also houses underground and/or alternative press publications from the 1960s to the present within the Contemporary Culture Collections.

Contact or visit the SCRC to learn more about using these collections.